Germany secures lift of beef export ban in breakthrough China trade talks

CHINA – Germany has successfully negotiated the lifting of China’s ban on its beef products following discussions between officials from Berlin and Beijing.

The decision, reached during meetings between Yu Jianhua, China’s General Administration of Customs Minister, and Cem Özdemir, Germany’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, signals a significant breakthrough in trade relations.

China had enforced a ban on beef exports from the EU in 2000, citing concerns over the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as ‘mad cow’ disease. 

However, the country has gradually easedlifted these restrictions, evident in its recent decision to ban Spanish beef exports.

Özdemir hailed the development, stating, “After years of negotiations, a joint declaration has been reached to lift the ban on German beef exports due to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Germany has implemented extensive measures against BSE and has maintained a BSE-free status for years. The signing of this declaration marks the removal of a longstanding trade barrier, paving the way for further market access.”

This development is expected to inject fresh momentum into the industry – In 2023, China imported approximately 2.74 million metric tons of beef, marking a 20 percent decrease from the previous year.

Conversely, pork imports totalled around 1.55 million metric tons during the same period.

Brazil emerged as China’s largest beef supplier in 2023, accounting for roughly 44 percent of the country’s total beef imports.

Argentina and Uruguay also featured prominently, contributing around 20 percent and ten percent of the import volume, respectively.

The negotiations also encompassed discussions regarding exporting German pork from regions unaffected by African swine fever to China.

German pork exports to China had been halted in 2020 following the detection of a case near the German-Polish border.

South Korea had also implemented similar restrictions around the same time, lifting them in May of the subsequent year.

The impact of the export restrictions extended to pork processors in Germany, with the Danish Crown announcing 100 job cuts at a German slaughterhouse in 2021 due to declining production resulting from export limitations.

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